Investigating an International Exchange of Best Practices

An Institutional Ethnography Approach

Abstract

As educators, it is the responsibility of teacher librarians to prepare students to become productive and responsible members of society. In this age of information, jobs require cognitive, personal, and interpersonal skills such as “innovative thinking and solving skills, effective communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to manage information effectively” (AASL, 2009, p. 7). In order to prepare students for living and working in today’s world, traditional instructional practices and beliefs of teacher librarianship have to change and adapt to meet the needs of the learners. This research investigates an international exchange of best practices between German and American teacher librarians as an effort to learn about changing practices of teacher librarians. The context of institutional ethnography offers a critical approach for understanding the institution that is teacher librarianship and the organization of professional practices of teacher librarians on an international level.